April has come and gone, and with it brought the start of the "popcorn movie" season. It also means that it is time for another one of my "Monthly Movie Roundups"! Two of our movies this month fall into the popcorn flick category, with one horrible "doc", one "throw-back" horror film, and one extremely original and exciting horror movie being the odd ones out. All and all though it was a damn fine month to be a movie lover. So with that out of the way lets dive right in and get this Movie Roundup underway!
Released: April 6 2018
Director: John Krasinski
Director: John Krasinski
Starring: Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds
Trailer
Plot: A family tries to survive in a world where blind monsters with super sensitive hearing stalk the remnants of humanity who must learn to live silently.
Opinion: Well I'm happy to say that for what seems like the first time in a long time, the critics and I are in complete agreement. "A Quiet Place" is simply one of the best horror films to have been made this decade and will certainly find a place in my top 5 for the year. Krasinski has managed to take such a perfectly simple idea and crafted it into one of the most tense and exciting experiences I've ever had watching a movie. What I really love about the film, beyond the perfect performances, expert pacing, and razor sharp tension, is the audacity of the film to completely and utterly commit to the idea of silence. Characters communicate almost entirely through sign language, gestures, and facial expressions. This serves not only to heighten the importance of any and every noise made or word spoken, but also pushes the actors to give some of the best performances of the year. I absolutely can not wait to see what Krasinski does next as a film maker. A word of warning: I lucked out by having an extremely respectful audience for my viewing experience, but just know that a rowdy or loud audience will simply kill the tension in this movie.
Released: April 13 2018
Director: Brad Peyton
Starring: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Naomie Harris, Malin Ackerman
Plot: After a secret corporate experimental space station is destroyed, and it's genetic modification serums crash land on earth, a zoo-keeper must attempt to save Chicago from a giant hyper-aggressive gorilla, wolf, and crocodile.
Opinion: If that description above sounds completely ridiculous and stupid, you would be absolutely correct. The thing is though that it is also a whole load of fun. Thankfully the film never takes itself too seriously, the action sequences are well choreographed, and the "CG" effects are some of the best so far this year. If you want a a big, dumb, loud, and fun movie experience that allows you to just switch off your brain and enjoy, then you could do a whole lot worse then this.
Released: April 20 2018 (Limited)
Director: William Friedkin
Starring: Gabriele Amorth, William Friedkin
Plot: This "documentary" follows Father Gabrielle Amorth and his final exorcism that he allows director William Friedkin to film.
Opinion: Sensationalized, slow, and exploitive. Seriously the biggest disappointment I have had at the movies this year. The film feels like a lost episode of 90s television staple "Unsolved Mysteries". The only saving grace was the fact that Friedkin was smart enough to pair it as a double feature with his horror masterpiece "The Exorcist", and watching that is one of the best experiences I have had in a theater this year so far. You win some, you lose some I guess.
Released: April 20 2018 (Limited)
Director(s): Jeremy Dyson, Andy Nyman
Starring: Andy Nyman, Martin Freeman, Paul Whitehouse
Plot: A television show host who makes his living debunking paranormal activity, is given three cases that defy explanation.
Opinion: Ghost Stories is a loving homage to the "Amicus" horror anthology films of the sixties and seventies, but still manages to bring the twists, turns, shocks, and scares of the very best of modern horror films. On top of that the movie is full of great performances, and features some of the best British character actors working right now. I love this movie so much that I easily see it in my top five for the year, and can not recommend enough that you track this one down if you're a fan of the genre, or just looking for a good spooky story.
Released: April 27 2018
Director(s): Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring: Everyone
Plot: The culmination of ten years of the "MCU". Thanos is after the Infinity Stones and the only ones who can stop him and save the universe are The Avengers.
Opinion: Infinity War is hugely ambitious, absolutely entertaining, and in my opinion, hands down the best of the three Avengers films. The "Russo Brothers" manage to juggle all the different characters and storylines perfectly, and it feels like every hero gets the exact amount of screen time that you'd hope. Thanos is easily the best villain ever seen in the MCU and is so well developed that you find yourself feeling sorry for him just as often as hating him. I'm sure I am not alone in saying that I left the theater satisfied, but sad. Sad because I will have to wait until next spring the see the conclusion to Thanos' saga.
Well that concludes my "Roundup" of the new releases I saw this past April. Did you see anything I didn't? Differing opinion then me? Please feel free to let me know in the comments below, and as always thank you for reading and I'll see you next time!
Comments
Post a Comment